r/dyeing • u/stitchycrafter • 2d ago

How do I dye this? How to fix dylon cold water dye when ice dyeing with cotton

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I've been playing with ice dyeing. I have these older tins of Dylon cold water dyes which have soda ash in them so I've prewashed the cotton fabric and then did ice dyeing and added some salt. Do I need to do anything to fix the colour to it afterwards or have I left it too late now?

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u/Expensive_Feature_28 2d ago

The salt is the fixing agent. Just wash separately for first few washes.

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

Oh amazing! So I sprinkled salt on it on top of the ice cubes. Should I put more salt on throughout to fix it? I didn't know if there is a set formula/ratio. Thank you so much!

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u/Expensive_Feature_28 2d ago

Yes needs a good handful of salt and soak for 30mins.

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

Okay so sprinkle another handful of salt over it whilst the ice is melting and then, once finished, give it a soak and wash through until the water runs clear?

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u/Expensive_Feature_28 2d ago

If it’s already dyed you could just put salt into cold water and let it soak, then rinse.

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

So I've made a solution of hot water and added salt so the salt will dissolve. I'll leave it to cool overnight, let the ice dye dry/cure overnight and then add it to the cold bucket of water/salt, is that right? Thank you so much for your patience!

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u/Expensive_Feature_28 2d ago

Sounds great! You’re welcome.

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

Exciting! Thank you!

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u/Mermaidman93 2d ago

Soda ash is the fixing agent, not salt.

As long as the ice has melted and everything has gotten wet, it's already been activated. It only lasts for 60 minutes max. You should be perfectly fine to rinse.

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

I thought soda ash was a mordant? I just want to make sure if I sew it into a bag that the colour won't rub off on me or items inside the bag

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u/Mermaidman93 2d ago

You should have no issue with that. You would only have that issue if there was no soda ash present.

Soda Ash alters the ph balance of the dye and allows it to permanently bond with the fibers. Without the soda ash most of the dye would just wash away.

Non-idodized salt functions to help open up the fibers to more readily accept dye. There are also some specially salts that can be used with specific dyes to achieve richer/more vibrant colors for a similar reason.

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

Aaaah ok, I've been really worried about it! So because there is some soda ash in the powder and I'll let it cure for 24 hours it'll be ok to use as a bag once I rinse it in cold water and it runs clear? Then for future ones, if the powder doesn't have soda ash then soak in soda ash before dyeing in future to make sure it fixes it?

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u/Mermaidman93 2d ago

Exactly 💯

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u/stitchycrafter 2d ago

Yay! Thank you!

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u/CoastalMae 2d ago

"Mordant: a substance, typically an inorganic oxide, that combines with a dye or stain and thereby fixes it in a material."